We are constantly confronted with crossroads in our life.
What happens at these crossroads can have a dramatic effect on our lives.
Not just now, but also for many years down the track
Each Sunday in Lent we will explore some of these crossroads.
Today’s Gospel reading sees Jesus at a crossroad.
A crossroad that is significant for Him and for each of one us.
The crossroad, where salvation and temptation meet. Where God’s way of life meets Satan’s short term promises that Satan can not fulfill.
In today’s reading we see that Jesus has been lead into the wilderness.
Surprisingly not by Satan, but by the Holy Spirit.
This is an indication that the wilderness is not bad in itself.
There have been a number of times when I have thought why on earth has God placed me in a particular situation.
A situation that is difficult.
Where I have felt all-alone.
With no one to talk to, even though I may be around a lot of people.
Ever been there??
Felt like you were in a desert?
Hopeless???
Then later on I have discovered that this period of wilderness prepared me for something else.
God used that difficult time to prepare me for the future.
In those difficult times, I learnt a lot more about myself, my relationships with God and others.
And one of the most important things I learnt is that I need God.
As Deuteronomy 8:16 tells us,
the difficult times humble us, to do us good in the end.
The difficult situations often place us right at a crossroad.
Where we are faced with at least two roads.
Both roads are likely to be tough.
One of these roads lead to salvation.
To eternity with God.
This road is sometimes a hilly road, not attractive but it always leads to God.
It is the road we take when we listen to God, rely on God, trust God, and do what pleases God.
Everyday you probably experience this road,
because God has created you and God has claimed you through baptism.
You are on God’s road to eternity when you ask yourself first of all:
“What does God want me to do in this situation?”
You are unlikely to be on this road when you ask:
How can I make or save the most money?
How can I make my life easier?
How can I make everyone love me?
and you are absolutely not on this road when you ask how can I gain or keep power?
But when you ask what does God want me to do in this situation?
When you put God at the centre of your life, you are on the salvation road.
In doing so we are allowing our lives to be guided by God.
And as you are probably aware this does not always mean that life will always be easy.
Because we live amongst people and in a society that has a different set of priorities as ourselves.
So at times, when we listen to God, life can be difficult.
But this does not mean God has left us to our own devices.
We should never forget this, even though we may feel alone, scared or worried,
We should remember the words of David in Psalm 23
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
The unfortunate thing is that sometimes the other road appears more attractive.
The road that Satan offers, often looks very enticing
but it will eventually stop at a dead end.
This road is the one where we ignore God,
we throw away God’s advice.
And we do things like listen to the snake of the Old Testament, which says, “Does God really say that?”
Or we assume we know what God wants from us without reading the bible,
without consulting what he says.
So when confronted with what to do, our questions are not what does God want for us, or intend for us.
On this other road, we rarely ask what does God want us to do?
Perhaps you have been on the receiving end of someone acting like this, who will do almost anything to ensure they look after themselves.
Now I am not saying we don’t think of ourselves, our families or our situation.
What I am saying is that we look at ourselves in the light of God.
In what God wants.
In what God intended for each of us.
In general terms this is to love and serve Him and the people around us.
And we display this by asking, “how can I help the person next to me at home, here at church, at work, at school, the people living around me.”
And specifically how can I help them in their relationship with God.
What can I or we do to make their life easier for others to relate to God?
What can I do to help them, especially help them develop a relationship with Jesus?
So the difference between the two roads is this:
The road of salvation is the one where God is the central character
God is the guide and protector in our lives,
where our primary consideration is for God and other people.
The road of temptations is where we choose to be the central character.
We want to guide ourselves, we ignore God, and the primary consideration is me.
Where we are always asking the question ‘What’s in it for me?’
In today’s Gospel reading Jesus is right at this crossroad.
The crossroad where salvation and temptation met.
Jesus is on His way to begin ministering to the world.
Then he meets up with Satan who tries to distract Him from what His Father brought Him to earth to do.
These are the same ways Satan distracts us from loving Him and loving the people around us.
To distract us from God,
Satan says hey you need physical things!!!
Things like food, money, a house, car, holiday, a good education.
And you need to dedicate your life to them above everything else.
What are some of the things you are pursuing?
He also says look, you need to develop a good reputation, we know you can do things but you need to put your energy into proving it to everyone else!!
And thirdly he says you can have power, authority where you are!
Now each of these are very enticing to us.
More wealth….
A better reputation….
And power.
In themselves,
they aren’t bad.
But they become bad, when our desire for them blocks out God.
Or when they reduce God’s impact on our life to something less than being number one.
They become a problem when they encourage us to dismiss what God has to say to us, even a little bit, and we will do anything to obtain them.
And instead of God and His way being the focus in our life,
we spend less and less time with God in prayer, bible study, worsip and we spend less and less time and money in serving other people.
And more and more effort in obtaining and maintaining anything else.
Jesus encountered these distractions.
Have a look how he responded to them.
First of all He checked out what he was being told.
He consulted His father, by referring to scripture.
Listen again to verse 4:
“It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’
This is a direct quote from Deuteronomy 8, verse 3.
And this is one of the reasons I am constantly nagging people to read the bible.
And it is one of the reasons you will find in the bulletin every week a section called a Daily walk with God.
I encourage you, this week either by yourself or better still with a friend or a family member
to spend some time with God reading his bible.
Spend time listening to Him.
However as the next temptation shows even Satan knows scripture.
And so when we hear scripture being quoted to support an idea, it is important that we check it against other passages of scripture.
It can be misused.
It is important to see that it is consistent with the entire Christian message.
Thirdly Jesus resisted temptation because he was clear of where His power came from.
And so he was able to demonstrate that Satan was a fraud.
Satan was trying to give Jesus something that Jesus had already been given.
Something that Satan had no right to.
It is a little like me walking into a supermarket and saying you can have everything on the shelf for nothing.
I have no right to do this, because I don’t own or manage the supermarket.
This is something that is important for each us to remember.
God has already promised, already committed his treasure to you.
As Galatians 4, verse 7 says you are God’s own child, everything that belongs to God also belongs to you, God has accepted you into his family.
God has given you certain things and people in your life.
And will continue to give these to you.
Material goods, skills, talents, relationships, your roles in the community, and the list continues.
They are all from God.
Now Satan tries to say to you these are the things you should focus on.
You should aim for.
You should dedicate your life in obtaining.
On the other hand God says these things are helpful in sharing my love to your friends, family and the people you meet.
Dedicate your life to me, to staying on the road of salvation, and remember that the things and people in your life have been given to you for that purpose.
Jesus not only gives us a solution on how to deal with temptation.
The reality is because we are human.
Infected by sin, we will slip up.
Remember that Jesus went into the wilderness for me and you, but didn’t slip up.
He is the only one who has never succumbed to temptation.
He is the only one who has a perfect record of defeating the devil at the crossroad of salvation and temptation.
As Jesus ventures towards to the cross and the tomb, Satan makes attempts to constantly distract him from the purpose His Father sent Him to earth for.
To save you and me!!
And Satan also attempts to distract you.
Jesus came across many other crossroads where temptation met salvation.
But everytime he remembered to focus on His Father’s will.
Today’s reading highlights this event prepared Him for these future temptations.
And rather than be distracted he kept focussed on His Father’s will.
A will that had as its highest priority delivering forgiveness of sins for each one of us.
Forgiveness of sins for our family and friends.
Because the Father knows we are not perfect.
Knows that each of us will stumble and fall as a result of Satan tempting us.
So this morning as you stand at the crossroad between temptation and salvation
you are invited to think about the things that tempt you away from God.
And you are encourgaed to hand those things over to God.
So that he can be with you as you struggle with them.
So that he can forgive you.
And can give you the strength to deal with them as they arise in the future.
Lets pray
Heavenly father
We bring before you ourselves
You know each one of us
You know our strengths and our weaknesses
You know the things that Satan uses to tempt us
To lead us away from you
As we stand daily at the crossroad where temptation meets salvation
Guide us onto the salvation road
Where you are dominate
Lord we bring before you those things that distract us from you
That lead us onto the temptation road into focussing onto ourselves
Silence for 15 seconds
Continually forgive us when we allow these things to dominate our lives and distract us from you and your will for us.
Give us the strength to resist temptations in our lives
And place us continually on your salvation road.
In Jesus name.
Amen
